Linux Boot Loader

[Sanjay Verma]

Friends,
While installing Red Hat, I did not select the option to activate the "Linux Boot Loader". Now since I want the boot loader to be active, would you be able to indicate the steps? Also, If I want to disable the bootloader, is there anythings needs to be taken into consideration?

[Francisco J. Soler · Accepted solution]

Hi,
You can use, GRUP or LILO, if you decide to use lilo, you must edit the file /etc/lilo.conf and write your configuration, then execute lilo command.

To disable the boot loader, enter in windows and issue a fdisk /mbr

Frank.

[Sanjay Verma]

Thanks Fransicso. Will do that and configure accordingly.
What's GRUP?

[Francisco J. Soler]

I'm sorry i made a mistake is not grup is grub.

http://www.gnu.org/software/grub/

The new RH versions lets you to choose between LILO and GRUB

Frank.

[Balaji N]

hi
it is grub and not grup. the GRand Unified Boot loader.

do you have a boot floppy. boot it thru the floppy and if you want grub, just type grub-install and if it is lilo, then lilo -v after editing the /etc/lilo.conf.

assuming that u have the rpms already installed.

hth
-balaji

[Sanjay Verma]

Francisco - Appreciate for the url provided.
Balaji - Appreciate for the commands highlighted.

[Sanjay Verma]

Francisco - Appreciate for the url provided.
Balaji - Appreciate for the commands highlighted.

[Sanjay Verma]

Balaji, you've mentioned about "rpms". Would you be able to provide some more information on this?

[Balaji N]

Hi,

RPM is the Redhat Package manager. It is the format in which binaries are distributed for a RedHat distro.

So you need to look for the below rpms (i am using RHL 8.0)
and install them.

lilo-21.4.4-20
grub-0.92-7

man rpm for more info.
-balaji

[Prashanth Ramachandran]

Alternatively , If u installed Linux after Installing Windows , you could load a 3rd party boot loader such as BootMagic or System Commander , that could automatically detect Linux .

[Sanjay Verma]

Prasanth, I've tried installing Partition Magic & Bootit - boot loader softwares but they both were unable to detect the linux partition. The reason being, when you install WinXP, it overwrites the MBR where this s/w is installed and then you boot next time you've to enable to boot loader again which fails to detect the linux information. Any idea how to configure this manually??

[Balaji N]

hi,
boot using a floopy drive. or if you have the cd, just start the cd in rescue mode. you might need to mount your root partition and then chroot to it.


assuming that you have installed the lilo rpm,

edit the /etc/lilo.conf to look like this. (this is my config. modify it accordingly)
+++++++++++++++++++++
prompt
timeout=50
default=linux
boot=/dev/hda
map=/boot/map
install=/boot/boot.b
message=/boot/message
linear

image=/boot/vmlinuz-2.4.18-14
label=linux
initrd=/boot/initrd-2.4.18-14.img
read-only
append="root=LABEL=/"

other=/dev/hda5
optional
label=DOS

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

here the image is my kernel image which you can find in the /boot directory.

the other=/dev/hda5 partition points to the drive on which windows is installed.

note that the boot=/dev/hda points to the master boot record on the device hda. so this will overwrite your existing mbr.

after this run "lilo -v". this will install lilo on your mbr.


and then reboot and voila.

if you still have problems, pls post back with errors. also attach a fdisk -l output if you have problems with lilo.conf

-balaji

ps: it is always a good practice to install dumb OS (read Windows) first and then Linux.